The Arkansas Tech baseball team dropped the last of a three-game weekend Gulf South Conference series Sunday to No. 13-ranked Delta State, 19-2, at Tech Field.

The game, which was scheduled to be a nine-inning contest, ended after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule set by the league.

Tech had a chance to clinch the No. 4 seed from the GSC West Division in the GSC Tournament with a win Sunday and a Harding loss to Arkansas-Monticello.

Neither of those things happened, though, as Tech lost to Delta State and Harding earned a 13-6 victory over the Boll Weevils in Searcy to put them 1 1/2 games behind Tech for fourth place in the race for the GSC Tournament. Tech and Harding close out the regular season this weekend with a three-game series in Russellville.

As for the game, Tech allowed the Statesmen to score in every inning except the fourth. In addition, DSU collected 20 hits and scored 19 runs, the second straight Sunday in which they tallied 19 runs as the Statesmen defeated UAM, 19-1 last Sunday in Cleveland, Miss.

The Statesmen started the scoring similar to Saturday's second game on a solo home run in the top of the first inning by Clay Sartain off of Tech junior starter Cody Taylor.

In the second inning, DSU pushed its lead to 3-0 thanks to an error by Tech sophomore shortstop Tony Sanchez and an RBI double by J.T. Taylor.

The Statesmen's lead grew to 6-0 in the third inning on a three-run homer by DSU shortstop Devin Goodwin.

The six runs would be enough for DSU and starting pitcher Rusty Rayborn (7-2). Rayborn, who pitched five innings, allowed five hits and one run, while striking out four.

Rayborn lost his bid for a shutout in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Tech junior first baseman Brad Green. Green's homer dropped DSU's lead to 9-1. On the afternoon, Green was 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in both of Tech's runs.

Following Green's homer, DSU responded in the top of the sixth with its largest run producing inning of the series with a two-RBI homer by Rickey Noland and two run scoring doubles to highlight its nine-run inning.

Tech reached the scoreboard one more time in the bottom of the sixth frame, also from the bat of Green, who doubled to score senior rightfielder Dario Colovic, who reached base on a walk issued by DSU reliever Kyle Ozbun.

Tech used five pitchers in the contest, but Taylor (1-4) was credited with the loss as he pitched 42/3 innings and allowed 12 hits and nine runs, including seven earned runs, while striking out four and walking one.

The win marked a milestone for DSU Head Coach Mike Kinnison as he earned his 500th career win with Sunday's victory. In addition, with the win, DSU has now won 12 straight games in Russellville at Tech Field.

Tech will return to action this weekend when it closes the regular season against Harding at Tech Field. The series will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday with a doubleheader and will conclude at 2 p.m. Sunday.